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Azure Synapse

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Analytics service combining data warehousing and big data

Paid plans only, free trial
Paid Data Warehouses Big Data Analytics ETL & Data Pipelines Cloud & Infrastructure
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Reviews on G2 Capterra
70 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Price
Paid plans only, free trial. Compare plans

Key facts

  • Azure Synapse Analytics combines data warehousing and big data analytics in one service
  • It queries data lakes and warehouses with SQL or Spark at massive scale
  • Pay per compute and storage used

Pros

  • Analytics workspace
  • Azure integration
  • Good for big data
  • Active development
  • Good features

Cons

  • Complex pricing
  • Azure dependency
  • Learning curve
  • Feature complexity
  • Expensive at scale

What is Azure Synapse?

Editorial review
Azure Synapse brings together data warehousing and big data analytics. Query structured data with SQL and process unstructured data with Spark-all in one service with a unified experience. Data integration pulls from anywhere. Power BI integration makes visualization seamless. On-demand and provisioned compute options fit different workloads. Organizations doing serious analytics on Azure choose Synapse when they need both SQL analytics and big data processing without running separate systems.

Available on: Web

how we evaluate Source azure.microsoft.com ↗

Ratings Across the Web

4.4 (70 reviews)

Azure Synapse holds an aggregate rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 70 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked September 17, 2026.

G2 38 reviews
4.4/5
Capterra 32 reviews
4.3/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

  • Analytics
  • Data warehousing
  • Spark
  • Pipelines
  • Serverless SQL
  • Microsoft

Pricing Plans

Free Trial

Pricing checked Sep 30, 2026

Azure Synapse plans and prices, checked September 2026
PlanPriceDetails
Serverless SQL Popular

$5/per TB processed

Query data lake

  • Pay per query
  • No infrastructure
  • T-SQL support
+1 more
  • On-demand
Dedicated SQL

Varies

Data warehouse

  • 100 DWU minimum
  • Reserved capacity
  • Predictable performance
+1 more
  • RA-GRS backup
Apache Spark

Varies

Big data analytics

  • Node-based pricing
  • Auto-scaling
  • Multiple languages
+1 more
  • ML integration
Calculate your cost View full pricing

Is Azure Synapse worth the price?

Good value

Azure Synapse's Serverless SQL tier is fair and transparent at $5 per TB processed, offering a cost-effective entry for ad-hoc querying.

It's best for organizations seeking flexible data analytics solutions, from occasional data lake queries to dedicated data warehousing.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Dedicated SQL requires 100 DWU minimum.

Data storage costs are separate.

Full Azure Synapse pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

Reviews

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4.4/5

Across 70 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra

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Best Azure Synapse Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

Databricks logo
Databricks Paid

Unified analytics for data engineering, science, and ML

4.6
Snowflake logo
Snowflake Paid

Unify your data across clouds with separate compute and storage

4.1
Amazon Redshift logo
Amazon Redshift Paid

Petabyte-scale data warehouse on AWS

4.3
See all data warehouses tools →

Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

Azure Synapse vs Databricks Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Azure Synapse vs Snowflake Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Azure Synapse vs Amazon Redshift Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

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Azure Synapse FAQ

How does Azure Synapse support diverse data analytics needs?

Azure Synapse combines data warehousing and big data analytics capabilities, allowing users to query structured data using SQL and process unstructured data with Spark within a single service. This unified experience simplifies the management of different data types and analytical workloads. It also includes data integration features to pull data from various sources.

Which teams would benefit most from using Azure Synapse?

Azure Synapse is best suited for organizations that require both SQL analytics for structured data and big data processing for unstructured data, without maintaining separate systems. It caters to teams performing serious analytics on the Azure platform, providing a comprehensive solution for their data needs.

How does Azure Synapse compare to Snowflake for data warehousing and analytics?

Azure Synapse integrates data warehousing and big data analytics within a single service, offering a unified experience for SQL and Spark workloads. Unlike Snowflake, Synapse is deeply integrated with the broader Azure ecosystem, which can be advantageous for organizations already leveraging Azure services.

What kind of trade-offs should users consider when adopting Azure Synapse?

Users should be aware that Azure Synapse can have complex pricing and may become expensive at scale due to its comprehensive feature set. Its deep integration with Azure also means a dependency on the Azure ecosystem, and there can be a learning curve associated with its feature complexity.

Does Azure Synapse include a free tier for new users?

Azure Synapse is a paid product and does not offer a permanently free tier for its services. Users will incur costs based on their usage of its data warehousing and big data analytics capabilities.

Can Azure Synapse integrate with business intelligence tools?

Yes, Azure Synapse offers seamless integration with Power BI, enabling users to visualize their data effectively. This allows for comprehensive reporting and dashboard creation directly from the analytics performed within Synapse.

How does Azure Synapse manage compute resources for different workloads?

Azure Synapse provides both on-demand and provisioned compute options to accommodate various workload requirements. This flexibility allows users to optimize resource allocation based on the specific demands of their data warehousing and big data analytics tasks.

Source: azure.microsoft.com

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